Monthly Archives: October 2010

Writers’ Trigger: One of the best reasons to join a book club is that you end up reading books that you would have never chosen. Most of us get in a rut – we read the newest books by our … Continue reading →

WRITERS’ TRIGGERS: I recently read The Art of Fiction– as valid today as it was when published in 1933. John Gardner responds to that common advice: “Write about what you know.” Quoting Gardner: Nothing can be more limiting to the … Continue reading →

Writers’ Trigger: Haiku is an unhrymed Japanese poetic form of three lines consisting of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. The images are from the natural world . From Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) the most famous of Japanese poets: Falling upon earth, … Continue reading →

Writers’ Trigger: When teaching poetry, I begin with syllabic verse. No worry here about meter and stress, just pay attention to the number of syllables. We begin with Haiku and then move on to longer works. “The Fish” by Marianne … Continue reading →

Writers’ Trigger: Once you start writing on a regular basis, you move beyond following the plot when you are reading the work of others. You start attending to the craft. You begin reading like a writer – thinking about what works … Continue reading →

Writers’ Trigger: Do you ever read the obituaries? It probably depends on your age. The older you are, the more interest you take in obituaries and tombstone inscriptions. Many obituaries indicate the ways in which the deceased made his mark. Visit … Continue reading →